Cardi B Opens up to Zendaya in the New Issue of CR Fashion Book

For CR12, the Bronx native appears in dreamy portraits shot by Petra Collins

By
Zendaya

Dec 21, 2018

Cardi B wears clothing Salvatore Ferragamo

Petra Collins / CR Fashion Book

Cardi B has proven herself a hitmaker, but she still wants the world to know and respect where she came from. Born in the Bronx with strong Caribbean roots, she is not afraid to speak her mind and act on it—precisely the qualities that have made her an international rap superstar with a string of record-breaking singles. But even after the fame and fortune, she is still that same Cardi, only now she has new bling, new beef, and new subject matter for her verses and hooks. Here, the rapper talks with Zendaya about fame, her blackness, and wanting to prove people wrong.

Zendaya: How would you describe yourself in three words?

Cardi B: Honest. Energetic. I’m also kind of a loner. I like to be in silence, think, and make myself laugh.

Z: I’m definitely a loner. I never want to leave the house. I’m glad that I have a job that forces me to.

CB: I hear you.

clothing and jewelry Saint Laurent by anthony vaccarello

Petra Collins / CR Fashion Book

Z: I’m from Oakland and that is a huge part of my character. How did growing up in the Bronx influence your music and personality?

CB: It influenced the way I see things. In the Bronx, there’s different cultures, a lot of Caribbeans. I didn’t grow up having much, so I didn’t have much to brag about. All I knew was violence, gang relations, and how to hustle. That’s what I mostly rapped about. Now that I’m seeing different things, traveling places, and buying new things, I can rap about all that.

One negative thing is that, even though I'm happy, I feel like I was a little bit happier two or three years ago when I had less money.

Z: What’s the process of music for you?

CB: I see other artists, how they work, and sometimes I be feeling like, Wow, I’m really slow. But it works for me. I cannot do music in my bedroom with a beat. I have to be in the studio and when I am, I be in there for like, 15 hours. I get that one beat and I write and I write and I write. You know I have Caribbean parents, so my vocabulary is a little bit different. So I always ask people, Hey, do this make sense? Can you say this word? Is this even a word? [Laughs]

bodysuit and necklace pierre cardin, ring bulgari

Petra Collins / CR Fashion Book

Z: That’s funny.

CB: I’m a rapper, but I’m not like a freestyler. My fiancé raps off the top of his head. For me to do a verse, I have to sit down, focus, and take my time. And if I’m not feeling the beat, I just can’t do it.

Z: How has your life changed since you became famous?

CB: Well, one positive thing is that, my family, whatever they want, they get. Everything that I want to buy, I can get. I don’t have to worry so much about my future. One negative thing is that, even though I'm happy, I feel like I was a little bit happier two or three years ago when I had less money. I had less people who had opinions about my life. I felt like my life was mine. Now I feel like I don’t even own my life. I feel like the world owns me. It’s crazy because I never been the type of person to ever really care about anything. I never had to censor myself. Now I feel like everybody is so sensitive, and it’s sad. Some people have written me off or tried to make me feel like I’m something I’m not or wanted to tell me how to manage my relationship.

DRESS LOUIS VUITTON, BRA FLEUR DU MAL, JEWELRY BULGARI

Petra Collins / CR Fashion Book

Z: A huge part of fame is that you open your life to the opinions of others.

CB: I hate it.

Z: Career-wise, what’s your next big goal?

CB: I really want to accomplish more records, more Billboard hits. I might want to get into acting or designing clothes, but my real goal is to have beautiful kids, a beautiful mansion, and do business that makes me money until the day I die. Then be able pass it on to my children.

clothing paco rabanne

Petra Collins / CR Fashion Book

Z: What is your dream day off?

CB: I like to do absolutely nothing. I don’t want nobody to invite me nowhere. I don’t want to do my fucking makeup. I don’t want to put tight clothes on. I don’t want to wear heels. I don’t want to do shit. But if I can be with my dude and have a little nasty time, I love that too.

Z: Who are your role models?

CB: I can’t really say that there’s another artist who I admire because I don’t really know them, I don’t see their struggles or their work ethic, like really see it behind the scenes. My role models are the people around me who I see working. Like for example, my mom would come home from work and get cooking right away. Me, if I work, after that I can’t do no other shit. I’m not trying to cook. I’m not trying to do anything. I also admire my homegirl, right? She used to strip. As soon as she would come home at five or six in the morning, she would finish counting singles, then get her son ready for school, and boom, take him to school. Then she would go to sleep at 9:00 a.m., wake up around noon, and pick her up soon again. Things like that, I really admire.

Z: Is there anything that people don’t ever ask you that you want somebody to ask you?

CB: One thing that always bothers me is that people know so little about my culture. We are Caribbean people. And a lot of people be attacking me because they feel like I don’t be saying that I’m black. Some people want to decide if you’re black or not, depending on your skin complexion, because they don’t understand Caribbean people or our culture. I feel like people need to understand or get a passport and travel. I don’t got to tell you that I’m black. I expect you to know it. When my father taught me about Caribbean countries, he told me that these Europeans took over our lands. That’s why we all speak different languages. I expect people to understand that just because we’re not African American, we are still black. It’s still in our culture. Just like everybody else, we came over here the same fucking way. I hate when people try to take my roots from me. Because we know that there’s African roots inside of us. I really just want people to understand that the color that I have and features that I have are not from two white people fucking.

clothing and accessories saint laurent by anthony vaccarello

Petra Collins / CR Fashion Book

dress stella mccartney, jewelry pomellato, boots gianvito rossi

Petra Collins / CR Fashion Book

Z: Okay last question: what gives you the greatest satisfaction?

CB: I love proving people wrong. I know that’s bad, but it just gives me this crazysatisfaction. People used to say I was only going to be a reality star—and boom! Or that my songs would never make it to radio—and then boom! I used to work in a very ratchet club named Divas in the Bronx. When I was 21, I was so in love with this guy. He used to tell me, “You’re going to be 40 years old still working at Divas.” It felt so good when he came back around and told me how proud he is. In my inner soul, I was just so happy, like, Yeah what’s good?!

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